


Wings of Fire: Revenant

by VexVamp



Series: Wings of Fire: Revenant [1]
Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:47:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VexVamp/pseuds/VexVamp
Summary: Not all secrets stay buried ...Peacemaker has never done anything remarkable - at least as far as he's concerned. With no magical abilities or heroic destiny, he worries he might never be able to make his life worthwhile.So when the opportunity arises for him to go to Jade Mountain Academy and revive the ailing school gardens, Peacemaker hopes this might be just the chance he needs. This adventure brings with it new experiences and new friends, including a strangely familiar Nightwing named Truthseeker. Their mysterious connection will change everything for the two young dragons, and might just lead them to a truth that neither is prepared to face.When the time comes, Peacemaker must make a choice. What is his life really worth? And is his future still tied to the darkness of his past?
Series: Wings of Fire: Revenant [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108550
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

None of this was real.

Darkstalker knew his mother was dead. He had known that first time he saw her form on the enchanted map travel into the Ice Kingdom and grow still. She was gone. That was why the IceWings had to pay. That was why Arctic had, had to die. His mother had been taken away from him, and it wasn't fair.

Except now she here, unchanged, as though his last memory of her had been plucked from his mind and made real. Her eyes shone with all the love she still had for him, and when she put her talons on his he knew she could be no one but his mother. He needed her to hold him, to tell him it was going to be all right, to tell him that he wasn't evil and he hadn't lost his soul.

But she didn't. Not really.

Darkstalker thought back to the soul reader, and the tiny grains of black sand showing just how much goodness he had left. He had taken every precaution, done everything right, and yet it hadn't saved his soul. He thought back to the holes he had sensed inside his father, and wondered now what it must look like inside him. Was there anything left now but a vast, empty chasm where his soul should have been?

But that couldn't be right! It just couldn't be! He wasn't evil! He did all of those things to avenge his mother and protect his tribe. Isn't that what any dragon would do? What any dragon should do?

Besides, he had always known that the future he was heading for would be worth it. When he was king of Pyrrhia there would be no war, no killing, and no one would ever have to feel scared or hungry or in pain ever again. He could fix all of that, and when he did no dragon would care what it took to get there. They would be grateful to him and love him and want him to be around forever to watch after them. That thought had always kept him going, always reminded him that the light at the end of this path would be worth any darkness he had to pass through.

Yet as he looked down at his mother, he was reminded again of the fear and disappointment in her eyes that told him she knew exactly what he had done to his father. She didn't seem to care at all about what Arctic had done to her, and what he might have done to their tribe. She blamed herself for getting captured, and scolded him like a petulant child for offering to avenge the torture she had been put through. She still loved him, but she didn't trust him, and he couldn't yet see a future where she would support him as king. And if he didn't have her, who did he have?

He looked at Moon. His dearest friend, in fact his only friend while he had been trapped in the mountain. It had meant so much to find her, to have another dragon he could communicate with, and have hope that one day he might be free again. But she, like Foeslayer, would never stand by his side as king. She hadn't understood at all when he tried to tell her he'd only cast the spell on the IceWings to protect the tribe, and she'd plotted with her friends to sabotage him. Did she just not need him anymore, now that she had them? Did she even care about him at all?

He needed Clearsight. He missed her so much it hurt, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring her back to him. She was gone of her own volition, to live and die without him thousands of years ago. Without her, he had no happy futures. No dragonets. No great love. He was alone.

Darkstalker felt a hole inside of him so great that he began to wonder if his soul truly was gone, and it was at that moment that Moon told him about her vision. She described an ordinary dragonet growing up in the rainforest, with friends and family and a deep love of strawberries. This perplexed Darkstalker; what did any of this have to do with him? It was only when his mother passed him one of the jewel-red fruits that he finally started to put the pieces together.

"Wait," he said. "You think the dragon in your visions is me?"

"You without your powers," said Moon. "You without your memories. A new you, with a chance to start over."

Darkstalker snorted, little puffs of flame shooting out of his nose. "Why would I ever give up my powers?" he said. "I'm the most powerful dragon Pyrrhia has ever seen! Everyone wants to be me!"

"I don't," said Qibli.

"Me neither!" said Kinkajou. "Evil and smug and fat-headed and evil, no thank you!"

"I'm not – " Darkstalker started and then fell silent. His mind went back to the soul reader.

Seeming to sense his distress, Foeslayer settled her tail over his and patted one of his free talons gently.

"You could be happy," she said to him. "You could be loved."

"But you have to choose it," Moon said. "You're the only one who can make it real. Imagine it, Darkstalker. If you turn yourself into a different dragon, you could actually do good things for the world."

He shook his head vigorously. "That's ridiculous. Without my powers? What do I do, make pie? You must be joking. Couldn't I do more good things with my powers intact?" he asked. "Like take Pyrrhia into the glorious future I've seen?"

"I'd rather have pie," Kinkajou said.

Moon shook her head. "The future of Pyrrhia is not your own personal scroll, waiting for you to write it, Darkstalker. The only future you control is yours. And you have not brought happiness to the dragon tribes. We don't want that future you see if we have to travel your dark path to get there."

Darkstalker spun the strawberry in his claws for a moment, thinking. Was this truly a chance to start over? He wasn't sure how it could be. His powers were a part of him, as much as his scales or his wings. Without them, what would be left of him?

"Do it," Foeslayer said quietly. "Become a dragonet again. I'll take care of you. I want to. We'll be happy this time."

"All I see this way is darkness," he said, touching his forehead. He'd been able to look into his future from the moment he hatched, and the idea of traveling a path he couldn't see was terrifying.

"Darkness is all the rest of us see if you do become king," Moon said. "But this way – "

"No," he said. "I can't. I can't do it. I won't."

Moon blinked, looking bewildered. "But my vision – I'm sure this is the path you choose."

Darkstalker's tail lashed back and forth, throwing off his mother's. "I don't want to lose all my memories! I'd forget Clearsight ... she'd be even more gone than she is now!" He rose to his feet. "No, I'm going to be king. King of the whole continent. King of all the tribes! That's my future; I've seen it a thousand times!"

"Darkstalker, please," Moon pleaded. "I know there's good in you still. If you listen to it, you'll choose this for yourself, I'm sure you will."

Darkstalker's heart burned with hurt and anger so great it made his talons shake. His mother and his best friend wanted to erase him from the world! They wanted to take away his memories and his powers and leave him in darkness!

"You are a bunch of small-minded little lizards," he said, rising to his full height and spreading his wings. "What, did you think I'd taste a strawberry and decide, mmm, wow, that's worth giving up my magic for?"

He looked down at the tiny fruit in his claws and ripped off all the green leaves. They must think he was exceptionally stupid to fall for a trick like this. "Or did you have Turtle enchant this? Or perhaps another secret animus I don't know about? It doesn't matter, you boring, ordinary creatures. I can't be enchanted by anyone! I'm smarter now; I've made myself completely safe. Nobody's animus magic will work on me. Which means nobody will ever be able to stop me." He threw the strawberry in his mouth and swallowed it, casting a dark look at his mother.

"Actually," said Kinkajou, "there is one dragon's magic that will still work on you."

He glowered down at her. "You're wrong."

"I'm right," she snapped back.

"Oh, really? Whose?"

She glared right back, and her scales were the color of burning strawberries. "Your own."

Kinkajous upended her pouch and poured a tiny pile of scraps of paper onto the ground in front of her.

My scroll! But there shouldn't have been anything left!

"What?" Darkstalker said, choking. "But how – I didn't see – "

"I know," Kinkajou said proudly. "Never saw me coming! Taken down by a ball of fluff! Who's insignificant NOW, frogface!"

Darkstalker felt a shifting and pulling of his bones, and he realized suddenly that his whole body was shrinking.

He turned to look at Foeslayer, the feeling of betrayal alighting in him like it had the moment Clearsight slipped that bracelet on him.

"You knew," he gasped to his mother. "You helped her."

"Of course I did," she said. "What else could I do? Send you to your room? Extra chores for a week? Somehow neither of those seemed particularly apt for this situation." She patted his shoulder, and he realized with a jolt that they were now about the same size. "It was this or leave forever and never see you again. I decided we'd both be happier this way."

Darkstalker tried desperately to counteract the spell.

I enchant myself – Darkstalker – to keep all of my memories! I enchant myself to keep my powers. I enchant the strawberry to have no effect. I enchant myself to never have eaten it. I enchant myself to never have agreed to come here!

None of it worked. He'd already lost his magic.

"But my powers!" he cried. He nearly choked on the words as his voice came out higher, his lungs shrinking in his chest. "All my magic ... can't I keep any of it? The mind reading? Wait – " Darkstalker held up his front talons, watching the claws get smaller.

"Sorry, Darkstalker," Qibli said. "You had more than one chance to use them wisely and well, and you chose not to."

Darkstalker realized suddenly that everyone's thoughts had grown quiet and far away, and after a moment he couldn't hear them at all. He tried reaching out to sense the future, but all he could see was what was right in front of him.

Without my powers I'm not me. I don't know how to be anyone else. I've never wanted to be.

"I really thought he was going to choose this for himself," Moon said, tipping her head at Darkstalker, who was still steadily shrinking.

"Oh, I knew he wouldn't," Kinkajou said. "But I couldn't tell you my awesome plan, obviously."

"You told her, though. Why didn't he see it in your mind?" Moon asked Foeslayer.

"You don't raise a mind-reading son without learning a few tricks about how to hide your thoughts," Foeslayer said calmly.

The anger and betrayal in Darkstalker's heart was being rapidly replaced by sadness. They were barely paying any attention to what they were doing! Did they even care? Was he really so undeserving of any compassion?

"Didn't I help you?" Darkstalker said in a lost, small voice, looking up at Moon. "Didn't I save dragons, too? I'm not evil ... I'm not ... "

Help me, please! Moon. Mother. Prove to me that you still care about me. Prove to me that you can still see my soul.

"Not anymore," Kinkajou said.

Darkstalker felt his mind growing fuzzy, parts of his memory going suddenly blank. He fixated on Clearsight and realized he couldn't really remember anything that they had done together. He could remember feelings, he could remember how much he loved her, and he could still clearly see her face, but the memories themselves were gone. He held onto that image of her as hard as he could, but even that was slowly being pulled away from him.

No! Don't let me forget! Don't let me be lost! Don't let me go into the darkness!

His sense of self was now a tiny pinprick, surrounded by feelings and desires he could no longer identify. There were dragons looking down at him that he thought he recognized, but he couldn't remember their names. He saw the face of a dragon in his mind, but he didn't know who she was. He knew he was desperately upset and afraid, but he didn't know why.

Then, just like that, Darkstalker was no more.


	2. Chapter 2

Peacemaker jolted awake violently, rising out of the bed with such force that he nearly planted his horns in the ceiling.

He’d been having … a dream? A nightmare? The sense of dread still broiling in his chest would make him inclined to call it that, but something about it had felt too tangible … too real. Yet as he tried to recall the details, he found them slipping away from him, as though he were trying to catch mist with his talons. Finally, he realized that he couldn’t really remember anything that had happened in the dream, only feelings and darkness.

Peacemaker sighed and settled back down onto his bed. His dreams had always been like this, and trying to remember them was an exercise in futility. It seemed like the harder he tried, the more he seemed to forget.

Knowing that trying to go back to sleep would be a wasted effort, he instead crawled out of bed, leisurely stretching the heaviness out of each limb. As he raised his wings, the pattern of rainbow scales beneath caught the pale morning light pouring in through his window.

The sun must have only just risen, and outside the trees were obscured by a thick veil of morning mist. In the distance, Peacemaker could hear the raucous calls of parrots and monkeys rising for the day. The chill air brought with it the scent of the damp forest floor and the flowering vines which crawled up the supports of the house and cascaded in colorful waterfalls down the trunks of the nearby trees.

Peacemaker took the small watering can that he kept by his bed and trickled a small amount of water onto the plants lining his window sill. He checked each individually, then, seeing that all was well, gave his standard greeting. “Morning, babies. Hope you slept better than I did.”

Hope never failed to roll her eyes at this, but he’d always had better luck growing plants with the aid of a little conversation.

Thinking of his mother made him turn his attention to where she usually slept, but she was already gone for the day, no doubt off to convene with Queen Glory. Hope worked as a royal liaison, aiding communications between the RainWings and the NightWings. Her duties encompassed not only to the rainforest, but also the old Night Kingdom on the Talon Peninsula, where a small populous of NightWings currently resided. She was often up before dawn and not back until well after dark.

Peacemaker sighed. It was going to be a very boring couple of hours if he just sat here waiting for the sun to crawl its way up into the sky. So instead he decided he might as well get an early start on the day. 

Exiting the house, he found the village still mostly quiet, with only a few sleepy-eyed dragons stirring. The NightWing village was located in a clearing alongside a fat, lazy river, and was bordered by several towering baobab trees, which kept it cool and shady, even when the sun was high in the sky. Scattered across the clearing were rows of houses, small but well-constructed, and elevated a few feet off the ground by stilts in order to keep out the occasional flood.

Though the rainforest’s main center of commerce was located closer to the RainWing village, there were also a handful of shops here for those either unable or unwilling to make the journey. An apothecary, infirmary, and even a small library stood out against the backdrop of quaint, unassuming houses. It was the only home Peacemaker had ever known.

Giving the village a final parting glance, he launched himself into the air and started down a familiar flight path through the rainforest. On the way he snatched up a banana and a mango from some nearby trees, nearly frightening the feathers off a flock of macaws in the process. He polished the fruit off in a few bites, savoring the sweetness of the dueling flavors on his tongue.

The air beneath his wings was still cool, and the sun had not yet had the chance to burn away the moisture clinging to the trees. The brush of his wing tips sent dewdrops flying from the overhanging branches, the tiny droplets catching the sun’s rays briefly in a brilliant display of light and color. More animals were beginning to rouse, the calls of insects, birds, and beasts swirling together like a choir of voices all speaking a different language.

It was a perfect morning, he told himself, and here his bad dreams seemed like nothing more than passing shadows. They weren’t real, and they couldn’t hurt him.

Peacemaker flew like this for awhile, lighting down only when he saw the familiar stone walls bordering the edges of a neatly tended garden, planted where there had once been a large, empty clearing. To an unfamiliar dragon it would seem strange to have a garden right in the middle of a teeming rainforest, but Peacemaker was already intimately aware of this place and its purpose.

Inside the garden’s walls were a myriad of plants not native to the rainforest, including various vegetables, fruits, and – most importantly – healing herbs. They had been brought from around Pyrrhia and cultivated for the shared use of both tribes.

The first time Peacemaker had seen it he had been fascinated, and he knew then that his love of plants could serve as something more than just a silly hobby. He’d started training to be a gardener as a young dragonet, always hungry to find out more about plants, how they functioned, and how best to grow them. He found the work fascinating, even if his mother and his friends were a bit perplexed by it.

Lighting down in front of the arching metal gate, Peacemaker was surprised to find it already open. The gate, along with the surrounding walls, had been erected to help keep out the hungry jaws of the local wildlife, as well as keep the non-native plants from invading the surrounding rainforest. If the gate was open, that meant someone was already inside.

Peacemaker set off down the pathway which led into the garden, glancing about the lines of neatly pruned fruit trees and rows of lush green herbs until at last he spotted what he was looking for. A lavender-colored dragon was bent down among a crop of raspberry bushes, methodically pruning the thorny brambles with her claws.

“Orchid?” Peacemaker called out.

The dragon turned around with a start. “Peacemaker! You scared me! What are you doing up so early?”

I could ask you the same thing, he thought, but he already knew the answer. RainWings weren’t what you would call early risers, and Peacemaker knew the only way his mentor would be up at the crack of dawn like this was if she’d had a rough sleep the night before.

He had known Orchid since he was a tiny dragonet, when she had first agreed to train him. Before the NightWing Exodus she had been a fruit gatherer, but as the demands of the tribes increased, so too did the need for different kinds of plants. Relying solely on trades with different kingdoms just wasn’t practical when there were two tribes to account for, especially with one tribe still recovering from years of starvation and smoke inhalation.

Orchid had been one of the dragons to spearhead the construction of the gardens, and Peacemaker couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. She was a fair but strict teacher, demanding much of him, but giving him much in return. He felt he knew her well, but she still never talked to him about the days she had spent as a prisoner on the NightWings’ volcanic island. He had heard other dragons speak of it, but Orchid herself never did.

“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” Peacemaker said. “Nightmares.”

Orchid touched the scar on her snout, where a metal band had once bound her jaws. “I can understand that,” she replied quietly, a mournful shade of gray briefly overtaking her scales.

She then gave a quick shake of her wings, restoring her scales to their normal lavender color. “Well, it never hurts to get an early start on the day,” she said more cheerfully. The raspberries are getting overgrown, the apothecaries are asking for some fresh witch hazel and licorice root, and we need to replace the leaves under the strawberries. The woodlice are starting to chew through the old ones.”

“Got it! I’ll start with the strawberries.”

“I thought you would,” she quipped.

It was true that Peacemaker had, had a certain affinity for strawberries for … well, as long as he could remember. Not only did he find them to be by far the tastiest of fruits – and that was saying something – but he’d also been the one to bring the first strawberry plants back from Jade Mountain to grow in the gardens.

As he made his way over to the rows of jagged green leaves dotted with fat red berries, he couldn’t resist plucking one and tossing it into his mouth.

“I saw that,” Orchid chided him. “Remember, we’re here to gather, not stuff our faces.”

“Iph fuz juss wun,” Peacemaker mumbled between bites.

“And don’t talk with your mouth full,” she added.

Peacemaker rolled his eyes and went on with his work. The banana leaves placed beneath the heavy berries to keep them from rotting against the ground had indeed started to look worse for wear. Peacemaker quickly exited the garden and returned with a fresh armful of leaves, tossing the old ones behind him as he carefully positioned the new.

As he worked he began to sing. “ _Strawberries as big as a scavenger’s head_ –”

“Peacemaker, I swear –” Orchid warned, but it was too late.

“Strawberries as big as a scavenger’s head! There’s no telling how far they spread! Big and juicy and so very red! Makes you want to get out of bed! How in the world can you feel any dread, with strawberries as big as a scavenger’s head?!”

“Three moons, are you trying to drive me insane?!” Orchid said, placing her talons fruitlessly over her ears.

Peacemaker had never really been known for his ability to carry a tune – or for his songwriting, for that matter.

Nevertheless, he continued. “Strawberries as big as a scavenger’s head! Yes, that’s what I said! So big and juicy no tears can be shed! Grab a basket and get picking instead! Gather them up until we’re all fed! How could I leave such a good thing unsaid, with strawberries as big as a scavenger’s head?!”

He finished on something remotely resembling a high note, capping it off with a dramatic flourish of his wings.

Orchid dropped her talons from her ears with an exasperated sigh. “Do you take great pride in being able to make yourself as irritating as possible?” she asked.

“Now, now, your praise is not needed,” he replied with a dismissive wave, “but feel free to clap as you see fit.”

She shook her head. “You’re impossible.”

“You’re smiling!”

Orchid swung her long tail and whacked him in the back of the head.

“Point made,” he said, shaking the stars from his vision.

“Come on, you overgrown howler monkey. We’ve got a lot to do, and I don’t want to be out here until dark. Think you can shape up and actually get some work done?”

“I can try.” 

“Well, try over there,” she said, pushing him back towards the strawberry bushes, “and quietly, if you please.”

He chuckled as he resumed replacing the banana leaves, watching Orchid out of the corner of his eye.

She shook her head and grumbled, “I am getting too old to deal with noisy, insufferable dragonets.” But her eyes were brighter and less distant, and for Peacemaker that was enough.

***

The rest of the garden tenders would arrive after dawn, and their work picked up as usual.

Out of all the apprentices, Peacemaker was the oldest, as well as the only NightWing. Despite this, he got along well with the younger RainWings, and had even been asked to assist in their training on occasion. Orchid had warned their mentors that soon he’d have them all singing that “insufferable strawberry song”.

It was well past midday and the sun was beaming brightly through the canopy when a familiar dragon entered through the garden gate.

“Mother!” Peacemaker exclaimed, going over to meet her. “What are you doing here?”

Hope leaned down to rub her snout affectionately against his.

“The Queen wanted me to go back to the NightWing village to meet a visitor,” she said.

“Visitor?”

Hope raised her head to look at Orchid, who had approached her curiously, her talons still full of bramble clippings. “Orchid, do you mind if I burrow my son for the afternoon? We’ve got someone coming all the way from Jade Mountain to see him, and I wouldn’t want him to miss her.”

Peacemaker beamed. “Really?! She’s here today? But she didn’t say she was coming.”

“Of course, Hope,” Orchid replied. “I think we’ve got a handle on things.”

“Then come on, let’s go!” Peacemaker said excitedly, leaping into the air before he’d even cleared the garden wall.

“Slow down,” Hope advised when he nearly clipped his wings on the gate.

“Did you know she was coming?” Peacemaker said, ignoring her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I only found out yesterday,” Hope said as she hurried to catch up with him, “and she asked me to keep it a surprise.”

“A conspiracy!” he exclaimed. “I should have known!”

“Watch where you’re flying, dingbat, you’re going to hit something!” Hope said, noting how Peacemaker had his head turned concerningly towards her and not the oncoming trees.

“As I recall, Mother, it is you that have crashed into a tree not once, not twice, but three times within the past year! Four if you count the time you got your tail tangled in that vine.”

“And as I recall, son, I am the entire reason you are currently alive, and if you would like to stay that way I would advise you to not get smart.”

“Too late, I’m already smart!” Peacemaker rebutted, cackling when she tried to lob him with her tail and missed.

Hope gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “I can see now why Orchid is getting gray scales. Listening to you all day is bound to drive any dragon insane.”

“I have no idea what you mean. Orchid finds me absolutely delightful.”

Hope snorted. “All right, wise guy, just try to keep your eyes facing the direction you’re heading. I don’t feel like peeling you off any trees today.”

“How’s tomorrow sound?”

“Peacemaker, I will destroy you.”

“Fine, fine. I can be boring too, just watch me,” he said, deliberately flying as stiffly as possible.

Hope gave a dramatic sigh, but seemed satisfied with his relative silence for the moment.

The two flew on like that until they reached the NightWing village, now crowded with dragons in the middle of their daily routines. As they lighted down, Peacemaker noticed a small congregation gathered around a dragon who he knew was not a normal resident of the village. As they approached, she turned to look at him, the light catching the silver teardrop scales by her eyes.

Peacemaker rushed towards her with open arms. “Moon!”


	3. Chapter 3

"Moon! Moon Pie!" Peacemaker cried delightedly as he pounced into her waiting arms, nearly toppling her over in the process.

"Oof!" Moon exclaimed, quickly trying to regain her balance. "When did you get so big, Peacemaker? You're nearly as tall as I am!"

"You'd know that if you came to visit me more often!" Peacemaker chided her, though his smile never wavered.

"I've not been able to get away," she replied, "but haven't I written to you every week, just like I said I would?"

"You have," he admitted, remembering how eagerly he would await the messengers sent to bring letters to and from the dragons of Jade Mountain Academy, "but it's not the same."

"I know, and I'm sorry," she said, squeezing him tighter. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

It wasn't entirely clear to Peacemaker just how Moon had come into his life, only that she had always been there. His earliest memory was of her, sitting with Hope, Kinkajou, and Qibli on a mountaintop covered in strawberries. From then on she had been a constant figure in his life.

Moon was his closest companion and his biggest supporter, more like a sister than a friend. However busy she was, she always made time to write to him and discuss his joys, his dreams, and his problems. He couldn't imagine a life without her, and often thought of how lucky he was that this dragon with seemingly no connection to him had decided that he was worth caring about.

Hope approached the pair as they pulled out of their embrace. "Hello, Moonwatcher."

"Hi, Hope," Moon replied. "How are things with the queen?"

"Same as usual. We're still trying to work out communication with the NightWing settlement on the Talon Peninsula. I figure I'm going to be forced to make a trip out there pretty soon, which I can't say I'm looking forward to. How about you? What are things like at the Academy?"

"Great! A few new students are coming in tomorrow. None from the rainforest, but I know at least one NightWing is coming from the settlement."

When Peacemaker was a small dragonet, Moon had been a student at Jade Mountain Academy, but in recent years she had graduated to teacher. She had taken up teaching history after Webs retired, and had also pioneered the more recent classes on the study of NightWing abilities. This was especially helpful for the few moonborn dragonets that had hatched since the NightWing Exodus. A few of her friends from school also served on the teaching staff.

"Is Qibli with you? Or Kinkajou?" Peacemaker asked, looking around.

"Nope, just me. Qibli's gone to visit Queen Thorn, and Kinkajou needed to stay behind to help with the new students coming in."

"So are you here to see Secretkeeper?" he inquired.

Moon shook her head. "Mother came to visit me at Jade Mountain only a couple of weeks ago. So actually, I'm here to see _you_."

Peacemaker raised a brow. "Why do I feel slightly suspicious? Have you had a vision about me?"

This wasn't an invalid accusation, as Moon _was_ the first mind reader and foreseer born into the NightWing tribe in centuries. Over the years she'd made a habit of showing up at seemingly random times without giving a reason, only for something either very good or very bad to happen. If it was catastrophic enough, then she would interfere, but otherwise she didn't think it was fair to manipulate the future to her whims.

Moon gave her standard reply: "If I did I wouldn't tell you. Besides, why do I need a vision to visit one of my most favorite dragons in all of Pyrrhia?"

Peacemaker side-eyed her playfully. "Yeah, make that _very_ suspicious."

"Hmm," she said, dramatically reaching behind her to a pack slung across her back, "I guess you don't want _this_ then." When she brought her talons back around she was holding a small flowerpot containing a cluster of green plants which resembled toothy, gaping mouths.

Peacemaker let out a delighted gasp. "A Venus flytrap! How did you get it?!" He'd been longing to have one of these for what felt like forever, but had never had any luck locating one.

"Kinkajou and I picked it up from a vendor in Sanctuary. I'm guessing this means you want it?" she asked, struggling not to laugh at Peacemaker's infatuated expression.

"Of course I want it," he said, taking the pot carefully from her. "Thank you so, so, so much Moon! You're the best!"

"Oh, so you're not suspicious of me anymore?"

"I'll be suspicious later," he replied, cradling the pot lovingly. "I think I'll call you Flysnapper. Come on, I'll introduce you to your brothers and sisters," he said, bustling back towards the house with Moon and Hope following close behind.

Hope shook her head. "Moon, why do you have to enable him like this? You know he's not going to shut up about that thing for the next week, right?"

Moon chuckled as they passed through the door and into the house. "There are worse things he could be doing."

Peacemaker shifted a few of the pots around on his windowsill and proudly placed the Venus flytrap next to a small pitcher plant.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed.

The sill was now thoroughly overflowing with plant life, from prickly cacti, to broad-leafed succulents, to trailing ivy that hung all the way down to his bed. Hope often remarked that if he brought in anymore they would need to get a bigger house.

Moon peered over Peacemaker's shoulder at the precession of greenery. "Looks like you've got quite a collection going. Is that the cactus Qibli and I brought you from the Kingdom of Sand?"

"Yep," he said, brushing the prickly ball of thorns with his claws, "that's Pricklestem. He's one of my favorites."

"I'm surprised it's doing so well," she said. "Qibli was sure it was a bad idea to bring it back; he thought the humid air would kill it."

"It almost did," Peacemaker said, "but I found out that if I mixed the soil with sand and grit to make it drain really easily, then the extra water in the air didn't have the same effect. Plus I make sure he gets plenty of sun. It worked so well that I told Orchid about it, and we decided to use it for the aloe vera plants in the garden. We were never able to grow them before, but now they're doing really well."

"Wow! Orchid must have been impressed," Moon remarked.

"Eh, with Orchid it's hard to tell," he said, though his tone was good-humored.

"How's the baking been going?"

Peacemaker seemed to wilt suddenly, his wings pulling in self-consciously to his sides.

"Well, um ... " he trailed off.

"What?" Moon asked.

"Well, I ... haven't really been doing that as much lately. I think the last time I made a pie was ... I guess the last time you were here."

"I can attest to that," Hope added.

"Why?" Moon inquired.

Peacemaker shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems like ... kind of a waste of time? I mean, there's nothing really special about making pie, is there?"

"But you love baking," Moon said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Well, I mean ... I do _like_ it, but at least gardening gives me the opportunity to do something meaningful. Something special. When I'm a real gardener, not just an apprentice, then maybe I can discover some plant that no one's ever seen, or write a scroll that everyone in Pyrrhia will want to read."

"Peacemaker, you hate writing," Hope said, the look of impatience in her eyes indicating that this was a conversation they had, had before.

"Yeah," Moon said, "you know, I do recall you asking me if I could have Turtle enchant you a scroll that writes out what you say so that you don't have to. And that was just for our weekly letters."

"I'm still holding out for that, by the way."

"It's not happening," Hope interjected. She had always been wary of animus magic, and was certainly not allowing any enchanted objects into their house, despite all of Peacemaker's incessant begging.

"Why do you want something like that anyway?" Moon asked.

Peacemaker wrung one talon mournfully. "I get cramps."

"So wouldn't that then mean that writing a scroll would be a _bad_ idea? Why force yourself to do something that makes you unhappy if you don't have to?"

Peacemaker reached out and plucked a dead leaf from a tendril of ivy, worrying the brittle stem between his claws. "I mean, gardening is the only other thing I'm really good at, so I have to figure out _something_ meaningful I can use it for."

"You're good at a lot of things, and what's wrong with just being a regular gardener and a baker? What you do doesn't have to be big and glamorous to be meaningful."

 _Ha, easy for you to say_ , he thought at her. _If I had powers like yours, I know I could do something actually important_.

Moon frowned at him. "Don't wish to be anyone but who you are, Peacemaker."

"Hey, are you two having a private conversation?!" Hope demanded, looking at Moon and then accusingly at her son. "What is it you don't want me to hear?"

"Nothing, Mother," Peacemaker said. "Nothing important."

He had learned to keep these ideas away from Hope a long time ago, and as of late he didn't bring it up to Moon much either. Every time it was like this; she got this unnecessarily worried expression and seemed like she was staring right through him, as if she were seeing someone else behind his eyes. Even if it was just through their weekly letters, he could feel her concern dripping off the paper like ink that had never had time to dry.

Peacemaker couldn't understand why. After all, he _was_ one of the only NightWings hatched outside of the volcanic island until after the NightWing Exodus, and if the timing had been better he might very well have been born with powers, just like Moon.

He wondered sometimes if it was because he was half RainWing.

Hope always seemed reluctant to talk about the father her son had never met, only saying that he had been a good dragon and had died before Peacemaker hatched. Unlike some hybrids, Peacemaker strongly favored his mother's side, and could pass for a full NightWing around most dragons. Only subtle clues, like the ruff of extra spines behind his ear and the colorful scales beneath his wings, hinted at his ancestry. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if not being full NightWing had kept him from hatching out at the right time to receive the moons' gifts.

 _Talons and teeth_ , he thought with a familiar pang of frustration, _I can't even breathe fire!_ It felt really unfair that to Peacemaker that he hadn't inherited any venom or camouflage scales from his RainWing side, but his father had still somehow managed to pass down his lack of fire breath.

It seemed like all of the normal gifts of both tribes had passed him over, so was it really so wrong to wish he was just ... a little special?

Peacemaker kept this to himself, bringing down that curtain of shadow which would keep Moon from seeing into his head. Her brows always knitted together in this fretful, confused way whenever he did this, and it made him wonder if not every dragon knew how to guard their thoughts from her. He felt a little guilty shutting her out, but he couldn't risk any of this getting back to Hope.

Moon always just looked worried whenever Peacemaker brought up the idea of having NightWing powers, but Hope would become outright angry. She would tell him to stop talking nonsense, reminding him that most NightWings couldn't see the future or read minds, even those born outside the volcanic island. After all, Starflight didn't have any powers, and neither did Fatespeaker.

On the topic of his lack of fire breath she was equally dismissive, saying that he certainly wasn't the only one. Many NightWings had suffered lung damage from the volcano and had little to no ability to breathe fire, granted for a completely different reason than him.

She said that Peacemaker should be thankful for what he had, rather than only focusing on what he didn't. He was healthy, strong, and had been fortunate not to have hatched out on that fiery hellscape, where he very likely would have died like so many other NightWing dragonets.

Peacemaker would eventually concede, resigning himself to not discuss it with her again. Although he knew his mother loved him and would never say something she thought would hurt him, he couldn't help but feel stung when she dismissed his feelings as silly. He never told her this, too wracked with guilt over the idea of making her feel bad when he knew she was just trying to help.

"Peacemaker?" Moon said, clearly becoming unsettled by the silence in his mind.

Peacemaker shook out his wings, shedding off the thoughts like beads of water, the same way he did those foggy, indecipherable dreams that woke him up in the morning.

"Sorry," he said, "just ... thinking."

"Oh," was all she said in return.

She must have sensed how dejected he was suddenly feeling, because she got up and placed a wing warmly across his back, hugging him close to her.

"You know," she said, her tone cheerful, "we've still got some time before sundown. Maybe you could show me what you and Orchid have been doing at the garden?"

Peacemaker felt the heaviness lift from his chest. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'd love to see."

"That would be fun! It's a lot different than the last time you were here."

"Hope, would you want to come too?" Moon asked.

"Sounds good to me," Hope replied, looking relieved that Peacemaker seemed to be back in the real world for the time being.

***

"Hey, didn't I just manage to get rid of you?" Orchid asked as Peacemaker flew over the garden wall with Hope and Moon close behind.

"Ha, you wish!" Peacemaker shot back. "Moon wanted to see the garden," he said, nodding towards his friend as she landed beside him.

"Hello, Moon," Orchid greeted her warmly, "it feels like forever since you were last here."

"The Academy has been keeping me busy," Moon replied, "but Peacemaker has been telling me all about what you've been doing with the garden in our letters. He seems to think you're a really great teacher."

Peacemaker feigned indignation. "I said no such thing! Where do you come up with these slanderous lies?!"

Orchid rolled her eyes. "Imagine that," she said to Moon, "but all day, every day. That should give you a little insight into what my life is like."

Moon grinned at Peacemaker. "Oh, trust me, I know."

Peacemaker didn't dignify this with a response, but stuck his tongue out at her instead.

Turning back to Orchid, Moon said, "I hope me being here won't interfere with your work."

Orchid shook her head. "You've come at a good time. We're just about to finish up for the day."

Indeed, the garden was now mostly quiet, with the rest of the dragons busying themselves with picking up tools or sweeping away leaf trimmings.

That was all the confirmation that Peacemaker needed. "Come on," he said, excitedly beckoning Moon forward with his tail, "I'll show you those aloe vera plants that I was telling you about."

He led her over to a part of the garden where the dark, rich rainforest soil had been dug out and replaced with a sandy pit lined with long, pointed fronds of aloe. Hope and Orchid both followed behind, watching the two friends with amusement.

"We traded for this with a SandWing in Possibility," Peacemaker said, indicating the sand and grit mixed into the soil. "Weirdly enough, that's not as easy as it sounds. I mean, a few pots is one thing, but you try convincing a trader he should lug two huge barrels of sand all the way out of the desert. I thought he was going to bite my tail off."

"To be fair, you did try to trade him for a crate of mangos after he asked for two mango _trees_ ," Orchid reminded him.

"It's a market, you're supposed to haggle! Besides, the trees come from the seeds which come from the fruit, so what's the problem? Personally, I think he overreacted."

Orchid turned to look at Hope. "You should thank your lucky stars that your son is still alive after that. I thought the whole idea to get the sand was ridiculous, but he just wouldn't give up on trying."

"No matter how many times you called me crazy," Peacemaker pointed out smugly.

"No, I only called you crazy when I caught you sneaking through the portal to the old NightWing island to gather lava rock."

"Hey, did it or did it not keep the slugs off the cabbages?" Noticing his mother glaring at him, he quickly added, "But of course that was very dangerous and very stupid, and I _definitely_ learned my lesson."

Moon gave an amused shake of her head before turning back to Orchid. "You've all worked so hard on this place. I never thought when this all started that it would end up doing so well."

"Neither did I," Orchid admitted. "I thought we'd have a few crops, maybe help out the apothecaries a little bit, but never anything on this scale."

Moon shifted her wings, as if mulling something over in her mind. "You know, we've actually been trying to start a garden like this for our students at the Academy."

"What?!" Peacemaker leapt to his feet. "Why didn't you tell _me_ about that?"

Moon pushed him back into a sitting position, ignoring his petulant expression. "I was planning to surprise you on your next visit," she said. "I had hoped that by then we might actually have it well on its way to being a real garden, but ..."

"But?"

"It could be going better. Clay is doing his best, but he doesn't really have a way with plants."

Peacemaker made a face like he'd just swallowed a lemon. "You put _Clay_ in charge of that?" Clay was a good, kind, and responsible dragon, but it was hard to envision the big, powerful MudWing having the finesse required to tend a garden. Peacemaker could imagine a single sweep of his mighty tail flattening a tomato crop.

"He really is trying, but he can't get the hang of it. To be fair, none of us know any more than he does. What we need is a _real_ gardener to help us."

Orchid shot her an inquiring glance, and Moon nodded, obviously responding to something she had seen in Orchid's mind.

Orchid swung her head around to look at Peacemaker. "Hmm, I don't know. The peace and quiet might drive me crazy."

Peacemaker's eyes widened as he put the pieces together. "Wh ... you mean me? You want _me_ to come to Jade Mountain?"

Moon shot him a mischievous grin.

"Wait ... is that the reason you came to visit me? Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?!"

"Because I needed to ask Orchid first," Moon replied coolly, "she is your mentor, after all."

"Yes, because I'm still only an apprentice," he reminded her, too afraid to get his hopes up, "not a real gardener. Not yet."

Orchid rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Peacemaker, you haven't been an apprentice for over a year now. When was the last time I had to teach you anything? Lately it seems like you're the one teaching me. We wouldn't have half the plants in this garden if it wasn't for you and your harebrained schemes."

Peacemaker's heart glowed. He had always known that Orchid cared about him, but her praise could be a hard thing to earn. To know how much faith she truly had in him meant more than he could express.

Orchid shoved him playfully. "Just don't get a big head about it."

"So what do you think?" Moon asked him.

Peacemaker gave a delighted bounce, excitement burning all the way down to the tips of his claws. "What do I think? I think that sounds amazing! Of course I want to go!" This was just the opportunity he needed. Getting to be the sole gardener for Jade Mountain Academy was bigger than anything he'd ever done.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" Hope said, pushing her way between Moon and Peacemaker. A knot of anxiety formed in Peacemaker's stomach upon hearing the barely masked anger in his mother's voice.

"Orchid, could you excuse us for a moment?" Hope asked the RainWing now looking as though she would really like to get away from this conversation.

Orchid nodded. "Of course." Peacemaker could see his mentor shooting him a pitying glance as Hope ushered him and Moon outside of the garden walls.

They walked all the way to a small clearing in the rainforest, well out of earshot of the other dragons, before Hope finally whipped around to face them. "What do you think you're doing, Moon?!"

"What do you mean?" Moon's tone was calm and steady, as though she had readied herself for this conversation.

"You said you needed to ask Orchid about where Peacemaker goes, but not me? Did you forget that I'm his mother? That should be up to me to decide."

"Mother ..." Peacemaker's face burned with embarrassment.

"It wouldn't be forever," Moon replied, "just until the garden is setup. He could attend the Academy in the meantime."

"If I wanted him to attend the Academy, then I would have already sent him there," Hope growled. "But he belongs here in the rainforest. You had no right to come here and suggest this to him without asking me first!"

Hope's tail lashed across the leaf litter and her eyes burned with anger. "Now you're going to make me be the bad guy who has to tell him no," she continued.

"Mother, you wouldn't really do that, would you?" Peacemaker asked, but she didn't reply or even look at him. She was still staring straight at Moon, glaring with such fury and intent that Peacemaker was sure she communicating more with her thoughts than she was out loud.

Moon stared back with determination. "I didn't want to undermine you, Hope. I just thought Peacemaker was old enough to decide for himself."

"I _am_ old enough!" Peacemaker positioned himself in front of his mother, so that she would be forced to meet his eyes. "I'm six years old, and Moon went when she was only four!"

"You're not Moon!" Hope snapped, turning her furious gaze on him. "You're my dragonet, and I don't want you going off where I can't watch over you."

Peacemaker was stung by this remark. _Does she really think that I'm that helpless? That I'm too weak to look after myself without her help?_

"Your mother doesn't think that," Moon said, pulling the distressed thoughts straight out of his head. "Isn't that right, Hope? You don't think Peacemaker is helpless."

Hope gave a start, as though taken aback by the suggestion. "What? Of course I don't think that!"

Peacemaker felt the knot in his stomach uncoil slightly, relieved by the conviction in his mother's voice.

"Then why don't you want me to go?" he asked, now genuinely confused. "Lots of dragonets my age go to the Academy. What makes me any different?"

Hope opened her mouth, and then closed it again, as if unsure of what to say.

"Please, Mother," he implored her. "This would mean so much to me."

Hope clenched her eyes shut and growled with frustration. "Peacemaker, I want you to go back to the house."

"But I –"

"Moon and I need to talk this over privately," she said.

Peacemaker felt a small spark of hope alight within him.

"You mean you might actually –"

"Peacemaker!"

"Um, right. Back to the house. Got it. I can definitely do that."

"And stay there," she said. "If I come back and find you gone, we're going to drop this for good. Understand?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. Now go."

Peacemaker did as he was told, taking off into the trees at a rapid pace, acutely aware of two pairs of eyes following him as he went.

***

The sun disappeared below the horizon and darkness claimed the rainforest, but Moon and Hope still had not returned.

Peacemaker's insides churned with anxiety as he stared out the window, studying the shafts of moonlight shining through the trees. What was taking them so long?

Sighing, he turned over in his bed and laid his spiny tail across his muzzle. Why was Hope so hesitant to let him go? It wasn't as if they were attached at the hip and she just couldn't bear to be away from him. Her work with the queen and his work at the garden meant that they didn't get to spend a lot of time together, and they'd both made peace with that long ago.

Did she actually think he was too weak to take care of himself, despite what she had said? Or did she just not trust him? And if so, why?

The door to the house suddenly swung open, and Peacemaker bolted up in surprise. Moon and Hope both looked tired and thoughtful, but their expressions were otherwise impossible to read.

Hope came over to him first, and Peacemaker was sure this was going to be bad news. She took a deep breath and said, "You will write to me every week."

Peacemaker's heart leapt. "You mean it?!"

She brushed her tail across his mouth to silence him. "You will do exactly what Moon and the other teachers say. You will do all your schoolwork and your work at the garden, and you will stay out of trouble. If you don't, I will personally fly to Jade Mountain and drag you home kicking and screaming. Understand?"

He bounded into his mother's arms, nearly knocking her over. "I do, I do, I promise! Thank you, Mother, I love you sooooo much!"

She sighed and pried him off like a particularly stubborn leech. "You're impossible. How am I ever meant to say no to you?"

"You're not," he replied happily, "that's the whole idea."

He then turned to Moon, hugging her as well. "I don't know what you said, but thank you," he whispered in her ear.

"You're not the only persuasive one around here," she replied.

Peacemaker couldn't believe it; he was actually going to Jade Mountain Academy!

He beamed at his mother and his best friend, happiness radiating from every inch of him. "I won't let you down," he said to both of them, "I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

The air rolling off the mountain range felt cool beneath Peacemaker’s wings as the scent of evergreens wafted up from the forested valleys below. In the distance he could see the peak of Jade Mountain, like a giant stone dragon opening its mouth to swallow the horizon.

He had been here many times in the past with his mother on short visits, but the sheer vastness of it all never failed to amaze him. In the rainforest the thick vegetation made everything seem cozy and intimate, but here it was as though the sky went on forever over a seemingly never-ending landscape of stone.

Trees like pines and aspens thrived in the lower elevation of the valleys, bringing life and color to the otherwise gray world. By contrast, the summits of the highest mountains were bare and capped with a permanent blanket of snow and ice, too high to feel the effects of the sun.

It was empty and full all at once, and so big that it seemed as if no dragon could ever live long enough to explore it all.

Peacemaker felt a sense of joyful anticipation spreading all the way out to the tips of his wings. It had been a long flight from the rainforest, and his muscles were beginning to ache, but the tiredness just couldn’t grab a hold of him while he was still so excited.

In his talons he carried a basket containing his plants from home, all carefully nestled together between layers of cushioning banana leaves.

“Do you really need to bring all of these with you?” Hope had asked him as he packed.

“Of course! I know you’re not going to water them. Besides, I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by leaving them behind.”

“They’re plants. They don’t have feelings.”

Peacemaker gasped as though she’d offended him. “Grandma didn’t mean it, babies,” he’d said, gently patting the basket.

“Son, I love you, but sometimes you worry me,” she’d responded, but still continued to help him pack.

Hope couldn’t come with them to Jade Mountain, as she had another meeting with the queen that day, but she had seen them off from the highest tree in the rainforest just after dawn.

Peacemaker felt her anxious gaze on him as they went, and he wanted to shout back to her that he would be okay. _Whatever it is you’re worried about, don’t be. I’ll be safe. You can trust me._

Those thoughts were far away now, though. Peacemaker’s mind was already with the garden, running through the information that Moon had given him and mulling over exactly what he would need to do.

Flying beside him, Moon carried her own basket filled with seeds and sprouts given to them by Orchid. They’d tried to pick plants that they thought could tolerate the cool, thin mountain air, but some of that could only be determined through trial and error. Few dragons had attempted something like this before, and there were no scrolls written on exactly how to make it work.

 _I can do this_ , he told himself. _I_ will _do this. This is my first chance to prove that I’m capable of something special – something more than ordinary_.

Moon suddenly veered into him, buffeting him with her wing.

Peacemaker gave a violent start, nearly dropping his basket. “Moon, you scared me!”

“I know! Your brain’s off on some other continent. Look!”

As Peacemaker cast his eyes outward, he could see that they were rapidly approaching the entrance to Jade Mountain. A wide, flat ledge of stone led up to the gaping mouth of a large cave. Outside, colorful flags in various shades and patterns flapped noisily in the wind, acting as a beacon to draw any arriving students inside. A small group of dragons had evidently seen the pair approaching, and were now waiting for them out on the ledge.

As soon as Peacemaker landed, he was immediately tackled by a brilliant blur of yellow and pink. “You came!”

“Hi, Kinkajou,” Peacemaker greeting her, surrendering to the RainWing’s crushing embrace.

“Is this not the best idea ever?! I mean, obviously it was mostly Moon’s idea, but I did help a little bit, so I think I deserve some credit. This way we get to see you all the time! It feels like forever since you’ve come to visit. What did Hope say? Moon was worried that she wouldn’t want you to come.” She said all of this within the span of about two seconds, without seeming to take a breath in between.

“Hope came around after awhile,” Moon replied.

“That’s great!” Kinkajou pulled away slightly so that she could look Peacemaker in the eye. “You’re going to love it here! Can you imagine having our very own garden on the mountain where we can grow all the fruit we want? It will be just like being in the rainforest! Well, except colder and higher up and with not as many plants. Okay, so not exactly like being in the rainforest, but close enough!”

She then pulled him into her arms again, more gently this time, so that it felt slightly less like he was being suffocated by a ravenous boa constrictor. Kinkajou could come on a little strong, but her boundless enthusiasm and unwavering kindness were part of what Peacemaker loved about her.

Besides Moon, Kinkajou was probably his closest friend. She had been among the first ones to meet Hope and her tiny dragonet when they had rejoined the tribe five years before, and she had made a habit of checking up on Peacemaker whenever she went back to visit the rainforest.

She was the first RainWing he had gotten to know before he started his training with Orchid, and it had been nice to have someone who could answer his questions about the tribe he shared blood with. They bonded over their love of fruit and basking in the sun, and it made Peacemaker feel just a little bit less self conscious about the things which would earn him quizzical stares from the other NightWings.

Kinkajou’s work at the Academy now meant that they didn’t get to see each other as much as they used to, but they’d kept in touch as best they could. Like Moon, Kinkajou had started out as a student at Jade Mountain, but now worked as a teacher, helping dragons of all ages learn how to read and write. She of course missed her home in the rainforest, but her calling was here at the Academy with her friends.

The other two dragons that had come to meet them were Tsunami – the head of the school – and Clay – the current caretaker of the garden. Peacemaker knew both of them well from his previous visits.

Tsunami took the opportunity to approach Peacemaker as soon as Kinkajou released her grip on him. “I’m glad Moon was able to convince you to come. Three moons knows we need someone other than Clay the Plant Destroyer.”

Clay wrinkled his snout indignantly at her.

“Not that I’m one to talk,” she added, “but I mean, what SeaWing wants to eat plants anyway? Gross, no thank you.”

“No, only sensible dragons eat plants,” Kinkajou quipped, “not slimy, wriggly fish.”

Peacemaker chuckled. “You grow more than just food in a garden. One of the main things we grow back in the rainforest are herbs for the apothecaries.”

“That’s what Sunny said,” Tsunami replied. “She also said it would be a ‘really good learning experience’ for the students’ if we had a garden for them to study. That’s how she managed to talk him into it,” she said, nodding in Clay’s direction. “So far it’s been less of a learning experience and more of a giant headache.”

“Well, Peacemaker should be able to help you with that,” Moon said, nudging him affectionately.

“You certainly can’t do any worse than me,” Clay added good-humoredly. The MudWing approached them wearing his usual warm, friendly expression.

“I think he’d have to put in some serious effort to do worse than you,” Tsunami jeered, though her tone was lighthearted rather than malicious.

Clay nudged Tsunami playfully, nearly knocking her off her feet before she managed to right herself, swinging her tail at him with a devilish grin. Even almost six years after the war, the dragonets of destiny were still as much like siblings as they’d ever been.

“Can I see the garden now?” Peacemaker asked eagerly.

“If you want,” Clay replied, gesturing off to the left with a sweep of his broad tail. “It’s just a short flight that way.”

“We already have a sleeping cave picked out for you, so I can take those in if you want,” Moon offered, gesturing to the things Peacemaker was carrying. He smiled gratefully at her as he passed off the basket of plants and the satchel containing the rest of the items he’d brought from home.

“You’re going to love your clawmate,” Kinkajou said, stepping forward to help Moon, “we’ll introduce you to him once you come inside.”

The two of them then disappeared into the mouth of the cavern.

Clay nodded in the direction he had pointed to before as an indication for Peacemaker to follow him. “Would you want to come with us, Tsunami?” he offered.

“Thanks but no thanks,” she said, backing away from them, “as much as I love all this plant talk, I’ve got some very import head of the school things to do. I need to let Starflight know about Peacemaker, and get him setup with a schedule and everything. So, um … maybe next time.”

Before Clay could respond, Tsunami bolted into the cave, her royal blue scales disappearing into the darkness. Peacemaker squashed a laugh. He guessed all of this bored the adventurous, battle-ready princess to tears.

Clay shrugged. “Guess it’s just you and me then.” With that, he took off from the ledge, with Peacemaker following close behind.

They were headed towards a lower part of the mountain, somewhere on the west face. As they descended, Peacemaker could see various trees and shrubs growing in the pockets of soil on the cliffside. This was definitely a more promising place for a garden than the bare, cold summit.

As they rounded a corner, a wide, flat ledge easily twice the size of the one leading into the Academy suddenly came into view. Here the eroded soil and grit had gathered in one long, unbroken stretch of earth, and the area was dotted intermittently with scrubby trees, grass, and brambles. These were all naturally growing, but as they lighted down, Peacemaker could see spots where the hard-packed soil had been tilled and deliberately planted with something.

“Something” was the appropriate word to describe whatever was growing in the tilled beds, because Peacemaker certainly didn’t feel comfortable calling them plants.

A husk that might have once been a potato vine was now brown and skeletal, while something that vaguely resembled a tomato plant had turned black and completely collapsed in on itself. A tiny sapling had lost all of its leaves, while another had just sort of petrified in place, the crispy brown foliage still fastened onto the brittle branches. The only greenery that seemed to be left in the tilled beds was a pale, knotty beanstalk with two leaves hanging on for dear life, and even it looked on the verge of imminent death.

Peacemaker thought this might be the most depressing thing he had ever seen.

Clay approached one of the beds containing a few dry, leafless stalks. “I’ve been trying as hard as I can, but they just keep getting sicker.” He poked one of the stalks with his claw, and it abruptly snapped in half.

“Clay, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but those are dead. Most of these are.”

Clay's wings drooped, and he let out a defeated sigh. “I’m not sure what I did wrong. I tilled the soil and I’ve been watering them every day, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference.”

Peacemaker scanned the miserable-looking garden, trying to pin down exactly what had gone wrong. He could see that some of the plants were completely fried from being placed too close to the mountain’s edge and under the unrelenting sun. The opposite was also true, as he observed a line of withered pepper plants in a spot he guessed never saw anything but shade. Some more tropical crops had clearly been picked clean by insects, while the few arid plants were drowning from the daily watering.

This was less plant neglect and more a full-on garden genocide.

Still, Peacemaker couldn’t help but feel sorry for Clay. He obviously had no more interest in plants than Tsunami, but had agreed to this to appease his friends. Not being able to follow through on making the garden for Sunny must have devastated him.

“I wouldn’t feel too bad,” Peacemaker assured him, “it takes a lot of time and practice to learn how to grow things. I certainly didn’t pick up on everything right away. Orchid nearly disowned me after what happened to the celery crop during my first year as her apprentice.”

Clay raised a brow. “What happened?”

Peacemaker bowed his head solemnly. “We don’t speak of it.”

Clay’s gloomy expression lifted slightly, but Peacemaker could tell he was still feeling a bit crestfallen.

“You know,” Peacemaker said, thinking fast, “I could still use your help with this, if you’re up to it.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Not help with the plants,” Peacemaker clarified, “what I really need is some fresh soil.”

Clay tilted his head curiously. “What do you mean?”

Peacemaker scratched at the earth with his claws. “This dirt is too sandy and thin to hold water well. If we could dig some of it out and replace it with some new, richer soil from down in the valleys, that would make things a lot easier.”

Clay brightened up at this. “I can definitely do that, if you think it will help.”

Peacemaker looked from one side of the garden to the next. “It would also be a good idea to have a compost pile. You guys don’t happen to have one already, do you?”

Clay blinked at him as though he’d just sprouted bananas from his ears.

“I’ll take that as a no. So we’ll need to do that, and do you think there’s someone who might know what times of day this side of the mountain gets sun and for how long?”

“I bet some of the RainWing students would know. I could get Starflight to talk to them and write it down for you. He’d love that.”

“That would be great!” Peacemaker said, anticipation beginning to stir in his chest.

As he looked around, he suddenly realized how truly beautiful this place was. The cliff leading further up towards the summit was dotted with grass and purple wildflowers, while the opposite side overlooked the mountain range, all the way to the farthest point of the pale blue horizon. The wild scrub trees and brambles formed a thorny barrier around the lip of the mountain, making dappled patterns where the sun shone through their branches. Large stones littered the ground here and there, easily big enough to serve as a table for reading or doing schoolwork.

Peacemaker imagined the garden bursting with life, with a walking path zigzagging through a maze of green, and students milling around, talking amongst themselves. With just a little work, this could be a place enjoyed by students for years to come, and it was up to Peacemaker to make that happen. This thought filled him to the brim with excitement.

_Look out, Jade Mountain! Today I finally start making a difference._


	5. Chapter 5

Once they finished looking over the garden, Clay took Peacemaker back to the landing ledge and into the Academy.

The first time Peacemaker had been here as a tiny dragonet, he could remember being scared to go in. He’d never been particularly fond of confined spaces, and the idea of being trapped in a dark, tight cavern with no way to escape was terrifying to him. Thankfully, he had found the Academy to be nothing like he’d first imagined.

The interior of the school was huge, full of so much light, sound, and smell that it felt almost like an underground forest. The massive stalagmite columns stood like towering groves of trees, while the fire-lit globes hanging from the ceiling created an effect like light shining through a canopy.

Along the drab brown walls of the entrance cave hung colorful paintings and tapestries made by students in art class, depicting everything from emerald forests to sparkling castles of ice. The far wall was patterned with colorful talonprints, spreading like flower petals from the large bronze gong hung at the center.

Down the hall Peacemaker could hear the soft hum of teachers talking, and smell the sweet, sticky aroma drifting from a nearby cooking class.

“Your cave is this way,” Clay said, leading Peacemaker down the far left tunnel and further into the mountain.

The walls of the winding tunnels were also adorned with artwork, and more glass globes hung from the ceiling. The smaller space amplified the lights’ effect, so that the walls and floor were entirely dappled in color. The hall was quiet, indicating that classes must not have ended yet and the sleeping caves were all still empty.

Clay and Peacemaker walked on for a short time before they came to the first cave, which had an entrance shaped vaguely like a broken tooth.

Clay indicated the opening with a flick of his wing. “Here you go. If you think you’ll be okay the rest of the way, then I’ll head to the library and ask Starflight about that stuff we talked about.”

“Sure, I can take it from here,” Peacemaker said. “Thanks for your help.”

Clay nodded graciously before turning and heading back the way he had come.

Peacemaker then slipped through the entrance into a high-ceilinged cavern with more fire-lit orbs hanging from the bristling stalactites above. Moon was waiting for him there, and as Peacemaker drew closer, he realized that she had already prepared his sleeping place for him.

A pile of warm-looking blue blankets were laid out across a small rock ledge, and all of his plants had been arranged along the little lips and pockmarks in the cave wall. A mahogany shelf held a selection of various scrolls, and atop it sat the few small things he had brought from home. A colorful shell he had found on a trip to the beach, a hunk of petrified wood Moon had bought him in Possibility, and a jar of colorful feathers given to him by Kinkajou were all spread out across the dark wood surface.

“What do you think?” Moon asked him.

Peacemaker beamed. “I love it! Thank you!”

He pounced onto the bed, rolling over on the soft blankets and stretching out his legs. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and allowed him a perfect view of the colorful lights above.

“Who’s my clawmate?” he asked, gesturing to the ledge across from him, where an ornate red and gold blanket was draped. The color and pattern made Peacemaker think it must be a SkyWing.

“You’re just about to meet him. I sent Kinkajou to bring him back from class.”

As if on cue, a dark red dragon suddenly appeared in the sleeping cave, flaring his enormous wings excitedly. He had a peculiarly long neck, golden-orange eyes, and seemed to be about Peacemaker’s age. Following behind him was Kinkajou, looking slightly winded, as though she had been running to keep up with him.

“Peacemaker, this is Cliff,” Moon said, as the red dragon turned to look at them.

“Cliff? Like Prince Cliff? Queen Ruby’s son?” Peacemaker inquired.

“The one and only!” Cliff said, placing a talon proudly to his chest. “Prince of the SkyWings, savior of the Sky Kingdom, and most talented singer in all of Pyrrhia.” He had a loud, melodic voice which seemed to echo off the walls of the cave.

“Not to mention the most _humble_ dragon at Jade Mountain Academy,” Kinkajou added sardonically.

“Yes, that too,” Cliff replied with a dismissive wave.

Peacemaker might have guessed that this dragon was part of the SkyWing royal family just by looking at how much jewelry he wore. On his long tail were three gold bands studded with orange gemstones, the weight of which made his tail drag slightly when he walked. He had a matching band around each horn, and from his neck hung a pendant of similar gemstones, resting in a line like icicles across his chest. All of this made him clank and clatter a bit as he walked, his tail bands tapping along the ground as he paced excitedly.

“I said it was about time they gave me a clawmate!” he said. “It feels like I’ve been alone in here _forever_ , which is strange, because I’m usually in the palace with the attendees and Mother and the royal guards, so I’m not used to being by myself. Not that I’m bothered by it, of course, but talons and tails will it be nice to have someone to talk to. I mean, I know I haven’t been here but two months, but don’t dragons usually get a clawmate on the first day? It’s so weird. Anyway, wow, you’re a NightWing? That’s cool, I was kind of expecting them to put me in with an IceWing or a SeaWing or something, since we used to be enemies in the war, but we got out as soon as my mother took over, of course, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. Plus that was a long time ago. But this is really cool! I haven’t met many NightWings – except for Starflight and Fatespeaker and Moon. We don’t even have a NightWing in our winglet, but I guess that’s going to be you, isn’t it? What did you say your name was again?”

Peacemaker was still reeling from the endless precession of sentences he had just been bombarded with. He could feel Moon and Kinkajou biting back laughter; it was pretty rare for a dragon to be able to render _him_ speechless.

“Um … it’s Peacemaker,” he finally said.

“Oof! NightWings and your mouthful names. Granted that’s better than a lot of the ones I’ve heard, which are kind of on the evil side, like Soulcrusher or Worlddestroyer. Do you mind if I just call you Peace?”

“Uh, sure. That’s fine.”

“We thought you two would be a good match,” Moon said.

“Yes, because you’re easy to get along with, and he doesn’t know when to shut up,” Kinkajou added, which was especially ironic coming from her.

Cliff puffed out his chest indignantly, but didn’t actually seem that bothered. “I could be quiet if I wanted to. I just have a lot of interesting things to say.”

“That’s okay, my mentor always tells me I talk too much too,” Peacemaker said. “I think the exact words she used were ‘insufferably longwinded’.”

Cliff barked a laugh. “My uncle called me ‘unbearably loquacious’, whatever that means. I think he looked up a word just to make a point, which is kind of overkill, if you ask me.”

“What I actually _meant_ was that you’re both enthusiastic and have a lot of energy, so we thought you would get along well with each other,” Moon interjected.

“Of course we will!” Cliff said, suddenly throwing one enormous wing across Peacemaker’s back, nearly knocking him to the ground in the process. “Say, Peace, you sure have a lot of plants. Are you a gardener or something?”

“Actually, I am,” Peacemaker replied, surreptitiously slipping out from beneath Cliff’s wing. “Moon brought me here to help work on a garden for the school.”

“Oh? That’s cool,” Cliff said, craning his long neck to inspect the curious line of vegetation. “We have a garden at the Sky Palace too. My Uncle Vermillion takes care of it. I suppose Mother thought he should have something to do after the arenas closed down, but what gladiatorial blood baths and growing flowers have to do with each other I’ll never know. But I guess they did build it over where the old crematorium used to be, so maybe there is some connection.”

“Cliff,” Moon interjected, “do you remember that little talk we had about _oversharing_?”

“What? You mean the whole ‘don’t say anything to someone you just met that wouldn’t be appropriate to say over dinner’? But my family talks about this stuff over dinner all the time.”

Peacemaker nearly keeled over laughing, and Cliff beamed happily.

“See, he’s not scarred for life or anything.”

“No, but I think you might be just a little bit crazy,” Peacemaker replied.

Cliff laughed again. “Yeah, crazy _genius_.”

“But as it so happens, I’m also a little bit crazy,” Peacemaker said, indicating the plants with a wave of his tail. “I mean, what sane dragon do you know that keeps a cactus by their bed?”

“Now that you mention it, you might be a little weird even for me,” Cliff teased. “Lucky for you, being the wise and benevolent prince that I am, I will gladly take you under my wing and endure all of your weirdness with a patient heart.”

“Right, and in return I won’t tie your mouth shut while you sleep,” Peacemaker retorted.

“Sounds fair,” Cliff agreed.

Kinkajou leaned closer to Moon and stage whispered, “I _think_ this might be a good sign.”

“You clearly don’t remember the first time we met,” Moon replied, nudging her playfully. “This is _definitely_ a good sign.”

“Well, obviously!” Cliff said. “Of course Peace and I will be _best_ friends. I’ll get him food and play with him and clean up after him and … wait, I’m thinking of a pet. What do you do with a clawmate again?”

Peacemaker snorted. “Actually, I wouldn’t say no to that right about now, especially the food part. I’m so hungry I could eat my own tail.”

“That’s a good idea,” Moon said. “Fatespeaker should be sounding the end of class gong any minute now. Cliff, why don’t you take Peacemaker down to the prey center so that you can both get something to eat?”

“Absolutely!” Cliff exclaimed. His whole body radiated enthusiasm, as though this were the most important thing he had ever been entrusted with. “Come on, if we get there early we’ll have first pick of all the best stuff.”

He then disappeared through the cave entrance before Peacemaker had a chance to react.

Moon took hold of Peacemaker’s arm before he could follow. “Think you’ll be able to handle him okay? I know he can be a bit much.”

“He’s not bothering me. I think he’s funny.”

“Told you he would,” Kinkajou said to her.

On Moon’s face was an expression of immense relief. Peacemaker guessed that they had previously struggled to find Cliff a clawmate that wouldn’t be put off by his effusive nature.

Honestly, Peacemaker found Cliff’s upfront attitude to be a breath of fresh air. He’d never really had any close friends his own age, and being around mostly adult dragons meant that it always felt like there were things he wasn’t being let in on. It would be nice to have someone around who wasn’t in the habit of keeping secrets.

Cliff suddenly poked his head back through the cave entrance. Peacemaker wondered how far he’d gotten down the tunnel before he’d realized that no one was following him.

“Ahem, I seem to be short one _NightWing_ over here.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Peacemaker said, waving him away.

Cliff’s head disappeared again, and Moon turned back to Peacemaker. “So I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

The worry had not completely gone from her expression, but it seemed to be for a different reason this time. This puzzled Peacemaker slightly. It was her idea for him to come here, so what reason did she have to be worried?

He wouldn’t have long to think on this.

“ _Yooooohooooo_ ,” a voice echoed from down the hall.

“Oh, keep your scales on!” Peacemaker shouted back.

“I’m growing moss over here, Peace!”

“Patience is a virtue!”

“It’s a _lame_ virtue!”

Peacemaker rolled his eyes. “I better go before he has as conniption.”

Moon smiled, touching her snout affectionately to Peacemaker’s. “Good luck. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Kinkajou echoed, stepping forward to twine her tail with his. “You’re going to love it here, I just know it.”

Peacemaker gave them a final parting glance before following Cliff down the tunnel. The dark red dragon was dancing on the tips of his claws, looking very much like he was about to blast straight out of the cave.

Just as Moon had predicted, no sooner had they taken two steps down the passageway than the air rang out with the tremulous clang of a gong. The halls suddenly came alive with the sounds of students bustling from their classes, and dragons began to pass them carrying scrolls or talking amongst each other. Many stopped to say a quick hello to Cliff, occasionally inquiring about Peacemaker, but clearly too wrapped up in their own business to give him much thought.

Peacemaker followed Cliff on through a maze of twisting passageways, dodging around the passing dragons as they went. Finally, a waft of fresh air and the tang of prey scent began to sweep down the tunnel moments before they stepped through an entryway and into the sunlight.

They’d entered into a huge cavern, with one wall open and overlooking the vast stretch of distant cliffs and valleys. A river ran along the opposite wall, appearing and disappearing through jagged holes in the mountain. The air hummed with the sound of the rushing, bubbling water, almost drowning out the roar of dozens of voices engaging in enthusiastic conversation. Many dragons had already arrived and were sitting down to share food, or taking to the sky to hunt in the nearby forests.

The name “prey center” was a bit of a misnomer left over from the school’s early days, as now the only live prey to be found were a few chickens stacked in wood cages along the far right wall. Instead, it served as more of a hub for killed prey to be brought back and eaten.

Carved stone tables along the left wall were lined with meat, some cooked and some raw, and a net full of fish had just been placed in the center of the floor. Alongside the river there were similar chiseled shelves, which were instead stacked with all kinds of fruit, mostly brought in from the rainforest.

Peacemaker’s stomach grumbled with anticipation, and he made a move to step forward before realizing that Cliff had stalled beside him.

Peacemaker turned to see him staring fixatedly at the center of the cave. Cliff’s eyes passed right over the net of fish, and he seemed instead to be intently focused on the students currently milling around it.

“Looking for someone?” Peacemaker asked.

Cliff tore his gaze away. “Yeah, actually. There’s this friend that I usually eat with, and I really wanted you to meet her.” He scanned the rest of the prey center, but evidently didn’t see the dragon he was looking for. “That’s weird; she’s usually here by now.”

“Cliff! Hey Cliff!”

Peacemaker turned to see a pair of orange SkyWings beckoning to his clawmate from across the cave. They were nestled against a large crack in the stone, each one with a freshly-killed chicken in their talons.

“Hello, Finch. Hi, Clementine.” Cliff smiled at each of them as he approached, but Peacemaker could see in his eyes that neither was the dragon Cliff had been looking for.

“Who’s your friend?” asked one, though her eyes never strayed from the prince.

Cliff gestured enthusiastically to his companion. “This is my new clawmate, Peacemaker. He just came to Jade Mountain today. He’s going to work on the school gardens.”

“That’s nice,” one said with a poorly masked lack of enthusiasm.

At first Peacemaker guessed that they were only disinterested in him, but the longer he looked at them the more he realized that they didn’t seem all that intent on what Cliff was saying either. Both were staring at the SkyWing prince as though he were no more than a shiny piece of treasure, barely comprehending anything that came out of his mouth.

“We were wondering if you would want to come eat with us,” one of them said, motioning to the spot beside her. “There’s plenty to go around.” She then sneakily pulled away her friend’s chicken and presented it to Cliff.

“Thanks, but I’m actually going to eat with Auklet like I usually do. Have either of you seen her today? She’s in your winglet, right Clementine?”

The dragon on the right made a face as though she’d just eaten something sour. “I saw her earlier, but not since class ended.”

Cliff sighed.

“But you’re still welcome to join us,” she added quickly.

“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to wait until she gets here. I really want Peace to meet her.” With that, Cliff turned and walked away, leaving both SkyWings with smoke steadily trickling out of their ears.

“Seems like you’re pretty popular,” Peacemaker pointed out wryly.

“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with the prince of the SkyWings?” Cliff said, though Peacemaker couldn’t help but notice his voice wavering slightly. He eyed his clawmate curiously, wondering what that was all about, but Cliff didn’t offer anything more.

In an attempt to break the silence, Peacemaker asked, “You said something about Auklet? Like Queen Coral’s daughter? Tsunami’s little sister?”

“Yeah, she goes to school here too. She’s really nice; you’ll like her.”

He glanced around the room once more before turning back to Peacemaker. “I guess in the meantime we should get something to eat. I think I see a bighorn sheep on the prey table. Want to share?”

“Actually, I think I’m going to head over to the fruit pile,” Peacemaker replied. “I’m not much of a meat eater.”

Cliff made a face. “Fruit, blech!”

“I take it you’re not a fan?”

Cliff shook his head. “I don’t eat anything that grows out of the ground. If it didn’t used to have fur or scales or feathers, then I don’t want it.”

“I thought you said your uncle had a garden back at the Sky Palace.”

“He does. A _ flower_ garden. We SkyWings are strictly non-vegetarian, as a general rule.”

“Oh well. More for me.”

“You’re welcome to it. I, meanwhile, will be going to get some meat like a sensible dragon,” Cliff said, putting on a posh accent that made it sound like he had feathers stuffed up his nose.

“Knock yourself out. I’m going to get some food that won’t leave me picking fur out of my teeth for a week. I’ll meet you at the prey table in a minute.”

Cliff nodded in agreement, and the two of them parted ways.

Peacemaker stopped to take a drink from the cool river before picking a papaya, an orange, and a talonful of strawberries from the fruit pile. The long flight from the rainforest was finally starting to catch up with him, and his stomach began to twist and rumble demandingly. He quickly stuffed a few strawberries in his mouth before heading back to the prey table.

Cliff was still sniffing at the options, thinking on it for a moment before settling on a small brown goat. He gestured to a spot across the cavern as he saw Peacemaker approach. “Me and Auklet usually eat over there.”

Peacemaker nodded, tossing another strawberry into his mouth.

Cliff looked on with a shake of his head. “That is just all kinds of wrong.”

“Have you ever actually tried one?” Peacemaker asked, holding one of the bright red fruits to Cliff’s snout.

“I don’t need to,” Cliff said, pushing it away. “I already know they’re gross.”

Peacemaker flared his wings indignantly. “Okay, no. You are _not_ about to call strawberries gross in my presence. Strawberries are delicious little nuggets of happiness gifted to us by nature, and I will not stand for that kind of blasphemy.”

Cliff snorted a laugh. “You really are crazy.”

“You’re in too deep to back out now,” Peacemaker pointed out smugly, tossing the last strawberry into his mouth.

“Okay, but can I still call grapes gross?”

“Oh yeah, grapes are definitely disgusting.”

“Good. We can talk about that in great detail over here,” Cliff said, leading Peacemaker in the direction of the spot he had indicated before.

He stopped beside a broken stalagmite which bordered the exterior of the cave, settling comfortably onto a smooth patch of stone. From here they had a great view of the distant cliffs and valleys, and could even see a patch of sky turned red and gold by the setting sun.

Peacemaker settled down across from Cliff, busying himself with peeling the orange in his talons.

“Auklet!” Cliff shouted in a voice so loud and sudden that it nearly made the orange fly out of Peacemaker’s claws.

Cliff leapt to his feet and ran to greet a dark emerald-green SeaWing approaching with a trout in her claws. They touched snouts affectionately, the SeaWing clearly as excited to see him as he was to see her.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” Cliff said.

“Sorry I’m a little late,” Auklet replied. “I told my new clawmate I’d show her the library.”

“You got a clawmate? Me too!” Cliff scampered back over to where Peacemaker was still frozen with the orange in his talons. “Auklet, this is Peacemaker. Peace, this is Auklet.”

Auklet was small for a SeaWing, with short legs and a slightly plump build. She had a sweet, rounded face and green eyes which shone with a sort of gentle kindness. Despite also being royalty, she wasn’t weighed down with jewelry the same way Cliff was. The only treasure she wore was a long string of pearls wound three times around her neck.

She smiled warmly as she approached Peacemaker, but her eyes were cast downwards, and he got the idea that she might be a bit shy around dragons she didn’t know. Peacemaker smiled back, pulling in his tail and lowering his wings in an attempt to look as nonthreatening as possible.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, her voice small and quiet.

“Good to meet you, too. Cliff sure had a lot of nice things to say about you,” Peacemaker said, eyeing his clawmate playfully.

Auklet smiled wider, while Cliff looked very much like he wanted to throw himself off the side of the mountain.

“He’s very sweet,” she said, looking at Peacemaker fully this time. She clearly had a lot of faith in Cliff, and would warm up quickly to any dragon that he deemed trustworthy. “I’m just happy to see him finally get a clawmate. He’s been so excited for it. Mine’s actually a NightWing too.”

“Hey, maybe you know each other,” Cliff said, as though desperately trying to steer the conversation away from him.

Peacemaker shook his head. “I’m from the rainforest, and it was just Moon and I when we flew in. It must be the student coming in from the settlement on the Talon Peninsula. Moon said something about that.”

“She is from the settlement, actually,” Auklet said. “She just got here this morning.”

She turned back to Cliff. “I told her that she could eat with us. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay,” Cliff replied happily. “The more the merrier.”

“She’s over by the prey table. I’ll go get her.” Auklet then set down the trout she was holding and trotted back across the cave.

“Oh, this will be great!” Cliff said, doing several excited circles. “Both of us having new clawmates at the same time!”

Peacemaker stilled Cliff with his tail before he had a chance to make himself dizzy.

“So you two are … friends?” Peacemaker inquired.

“Yes,” Cliff replied, furrowing his brows at him, “we’re _friends_.”

Peacemaker shrugged innocently. “Just asking. No need to get defensive.”

“I’m not defensive, _you’re_ defensive.”

“I literally didn’t say anything.”

“Can we just talk about something else please?”

Peacemaker rolled his eyes at his newfound friend, and Cliff responded with a hearty shove, nearly knocking him off his feet.

“Look, here they come,” Cliff said. “Could you please try not to humiliate me this time?”

“No promises.”

Peacemaker turned to see Auklet walking back towards them alongside a NightWing who was perhaps a year or so younger than him. She had a pair of wire-rimmed glasses propped atop her snout, and was carrying a large rabbit from the prey table.

Peacemaker rose to meet her, but as he got a closer look, the strangest feeling came over him. There was this needling, almost frantic sensation at the back of his mind, as if there was something he was supposed to remember but couldn’t.

Then, as the other NightWing drew closer and her eyes finally fell on him, Peacemaker felt a flash of recognition, as powerful and sudden as if he had just been struck by lightning. He _knew_ this dragon, he was sure of it, and yet … he couldn’t remember ever meeting her before. Much like the dreams he could feel but not recall, he had no words to explain where this sense of familiarity came from.

It was only after a moment of wordless gawking that Peacemaker suddenly realized that this dragon was staring at him as fixedly as he was at her.

“Do I …” she started, and her voice too seem to trigger something deep in a part of his mind that he couldn’t reach, “do I know you from somewhere?”


End file.
